Flush valve assembly

ABSTRACT

A toilet flush valve assembly having a bracket releasably secured to an overflow pipe of a flush tank and a lever pivotally mounted on said bracket carrying a valve member adapted to seat on either an inclined or a horizontal seating surface. The lever is provided with an angled end portion having a tapered opening for receiving an actuating cord. The lever is pivotally mounted on the bracket by means of openings which receive projections extending radially outwardly from the bracket. Sufficient play is permitted between the lever openings and the projections in longitudinal and lateral directions to allow the valve member to properly seat itself.

United States Patent Primary Examiner- Henry K. Artis Auomey-Christel & Bean ABSTRACT: A toilet flush valve assembly having a bracket releasably secured to an overflow pipe of a flush tank and a lever pivotally mounted on said bracket carrying a valve member adapted to seat on either an inclined or a horizontal seating surface. The lever is provided with an angled end portion having a tapered opening for receiving an actuating cord. The lever is pivotally mounted on the bracket by means of openings which receive projections extending radially outwardly from the bracket. Sufiicient play is permitted between the lever openings and the projections in longitudinal and lateral directions to allow the valve member to properly seat itself.

PATENIED Aum 71971 3; 599.247

' INVENTOR. .Darz fiampzausen BY ATTORNEYS.

FLUSH VALVE ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to plumbing equipment, and more particularly to an improved valve assembly as may be employed in and form a part of a toilet flush valve assembly.

The usual toilet flush valve construction employs a 'valve member movable toward and away from a valve seat and normally held thereagainst by gravity and the hydrostatic pressure of water in the tank. These valve members commonly comprise a stopper ball of rubber or like resiliently flexible elastic material to provide the requisite sealing action. Generally, the valve seat lies in a horizontal plane and the valve member is mounted and guided for vertical movement so as to maintain its seating surface in a substantially horizontal plane at all times. Recently, however, the trend has been to utilize toilet flush constructions in which the seat for the valve member is tapered orlies in a plane inclined from the horizontal. In these constructions, difficulties have been encountered in properly Means are provided for connecting valve member 22 in such a manner as to control its path of movement toward valve seat 20 in a positive mannerand along a definite path which invariably brings it into proper seating alignment. A degree of 5 latitude for final self-alignment of valve member 22 is perseating the conventional ball valve member, particularly when I used as a replacement part.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a 7 toilet flush valve assembly of a design providing the requisite sealing action between-a valve member and an inclined or slanted seating surface as well as the older style horizontal seating surface.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved mounting and guiding means for the flush valve member to insure proper seating thereof.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a toilet flush valve assembly which is simple in construction, low in costs, and rugged and durable in use.

The foregoing and other objects, advantages andcharacterizing features of the present invention will become clearly apparent from the ensuing detailed description of certain illustrative embodiments thereof, taken together with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals denote like parts throughout the various views. I

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view of a flush tank incorporating a flush valve assembly constructed in' accordance with the DESCRIPTION OF AN ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, an illustrative embodiment of the invention is illustrated as applied to and incorporating a conventional dump valve outlet fitting 10 having the usual outlet nipple 12 by which the fitting is mounted in a wall 14 of a flush tank by a collar or nut 16. Fitting 10 includes an overflow pipe 18 extending upright in tank 14 in laterally relation to valve seat 20 of fitting 10. Valve seat 20 is tapered, i.e., the seating surface lies in a plane inclined relative to a horizontal plane cut transversely through overflow pipe 18. A dump valve, such as a hollow, elastic generally ball-shaped member 22, is adapted to engage valve seat 20. It will be understood that valve seat 20 is cup-shaped to provide, for final self-alignment of valve member 22 as it seats therein, the valve member being of tapered sidewall form. An operator arm 24, provided with a trip handle (not shown) at one end and a connecting cord 26 at the other end is arranged to unseat valve member 22 for the tank-emptying operation.

mittedby means of a pivoted connection having a journal axis provided with sufficient play to allowdimited freedom of lateral movement of said valve member 22.

To this end, valve mounting means in the form of a bracket, generally designated 30, is provided having a collar 32 adapted to fit over and frictionally engage the overflow pipe 18 to provide a friction fit therebetween. Bracket 30, along with collar 32, can be formed of a stifi or self-sustaining, noncorrosive, plastic material, such as nylon for example, with the bore of collar 32 being somewhat undersided with respect to pipe 18 to provide a snug but axially displaceable fit thereon. A suitable screw 34 is received in a threaded opening in collar 32 for engaging pipe 18 and maintaining collar 32 in place lengthwise of pipe 18. Extending laterally outwardly from opposite sides'of bracket are projections 36, each having an enlarged head fonnation 38 on the free end thereof for a pur pose hereinafter explained.

Valve member 22 is interconnected with bracket 30 by a valve-carrying lever, proportional 40, comprising an elongated arm 42 and mixi8 yoke consisting of spaced arcuate arms 44. An elongated slot 46 is provided in arm 42 for receiving a screw 48 therethrough engageable with a threaded opening 50 provided in a bushing 52 disposed in an opening at the top of valve member 22. Slot 46 is elongated, having a length many times greater than its width to provide a substantial range of adjustment of valve member 22 along arm 42, thereby permitting the valve to be adjusted to fit a wide variety of installations including any angled inclination of the valveseating surfaces.

Each of the arms 44 is provided with an opening 54 adjacent the free end thereof, the opening being rectangularly shaped in elevation as shown in FIG. 1 and having a greater length than height. Assembly of lever 40 with respect to bracket 30 is effected by spreading resilient arms 44 apart and passing openings 54 thereof over the enlarged hearformations 38 of each leg 36, the relative sizes being substantially equal so that forcemust beexerted to pass he'ad formations 38 through openings 54 to snap head formations 38 into an assembled relation and maintain arms 44 in place in a substantially parallel orientation. The smallest dimensions of openings 54 .are large enough to permit 360 rotation of lever 40 about projections 36. i

The larger dimensions of openings 54 are long enough to permit play in generally longitudinal directions toward and away from valve seat 20. Also, projections 36 are longer than the thickness of arms 44 -of lever 40 to permit some play in lateral directions thereby permitting valve member 22 to properly seat itself on valve seat 20.

A particular feature of this invention resides in providing the distal end of arm 42 with a slightly inclined portion 56 extending outwardly and upwardly at an angle of, for example l5-25 opening relative to the plane of arm 42. Portion 56 is provided with a tapered opening 58, the largest dimension 7 located on the undersurface of arm 42.

In conventional planar levers, a knot must be tied in the illustration 26 above the cord opening in the lever to prevent the cord from slipping through such opening when the cord is in a slackened condition In the present illustrative it has been found that forming the smallest dimension of tapered opening 7 58 just slightly larger than the cord diameter, coupled with the From the foregoing, it is apparent that the objects of the present invention have been fully accomplished. As'a result of this invention, providing an inclined end portion for lever arm 42 together with a tapered opening therein, cord slippage through such opening is avoided and an improved and useful toilet flush valve assembly is provided for compatibilityvwith valve seat constructions in which the ball valve seating surfaces lie in a horizontal plane or a plane inclined relative to a horizontal plane.

One form of this invention having been described and illus trated, it is to be understood that this has been done by way of illustration only.

I claim:

1. In combination with a flush tank outlet fitting having an upstanding overflow pipe and an offset valve seat having a seating surface, a bracket mounted on said overflow pipe for longitudinal movement relative thereto, a lever having a generally planar portion carrying a valve member, said valve member having a seating surface adapted to engage and lie parallel to the seating surface of said valve seat both when said surface is horizontal and when said surface is inclined, means connecting said lever to said bracket for pivotal movement of said lever relative to said bracket, said lever having an end portion inclined relative to said generally planar portion, a tapered opening in said end portion extending therethrough for receiving an actuating cord, the smallest dimension of said opening being just slightly larger than the diameter of said cord whereby said cord is precluded from slipping downwardly through said opening.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said valve member carrying portion of said lever is provided with an elongated slot and a fastener extends through said slot and is engageable with said valve member.

3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said connecting means comprises projections extending outwardly from said bracket and terminating in enlarged head fonnations, and said lever is provided with arms having openings therein for receiving said projections and permitting insertion of said head formations therethrough with a snap fit.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said openings of said arms and said projections are formed with a loose fit therebetween to permit longitudinalmovement of said valve member as it descends towards its seatl 5. The combination of claim 3 wherein said projections are longer than the thicknesses of said arms to permit lateral movements of said valve member as it descends toward its seat 6. In combination with a flush tank outlet fitting having an upstanding overflow pipe and an offset valve seat having a seating surface, a bracket mounted on said overflow pipe for longitudinal movement relative thereto, a lever having a generally planar portion carrying a valve member, said valve -member having a seating surface adapted to engage and lie parallel to the seating surface of said valve seat both when said surface is horizontal and when said surface is inclined, means connecting said lever to said bracket for pivotal movement of said lever relative to said bracket, said lever having an end portion inclined relative to said generally planar portion, and opening in said end portion extending therethrough for receiving an actuating cord, said opening being tapered with the smallest dimension of the opening being on the side of the lever away from said valve member.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said bracket and said lever are formed of a resilient, noncorrosive, plastic material.

8. The combination of claim 6 wherein said cord is provided with a knot tied at the end of said cord below said opening. 

1. In combination with a flush tank outlet fitting having an upstanding overflow pipe and an offset valve seat having a seating surface, a bracket mounted on said overflow pipe for longitudinal movement relative thereto, a lever having a generally planar portion carrying a valve member, said valve member having a seating surface adapted to engage and lie parallel to the seating surface of said valve seat both when said surface is horizontal and when said surface is inclined, means connecting said lever to said bracket for pivotal movement of said lever relative to said bracket, said lever having an end portion inclined relative to said generally planar portion, a tapered opening in said end portion extending therethrough for receiving an actuating cord, the smallest dimension of said opening being just slightly larger than the diameter of said cord whereby said cord is precluded from slipping downwardly through said opening.
 2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said valve member carrying portion of said lever is provided with an elongated slot and a fastener extends through said slot and is engageable with said valve member.
 3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said connecting means comprises projections extending outwardly from said bracket and terminating in enlarged head formations, and said lever is provided with arms having openings therein for receiving said projections and permitting insertion of said head formations therethrough with a snap fit.
 4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said openings of said arms and said projections are formed with a loose fit therebetween to permit longitudinal movement of said valve member as it descends towards its seat.
 5. The combination of claim 3 wherein said projections are longer than the thicknesses of said arms to permit lateral movements of said valve member as it descends toward its seat
 6. In combination with a flush tank outlet fitting having an upstanding overflow pipe and an offset valve seat having a seating surface, a bracket mounted on said overflow pipe for longitudinal movement relative thereto, a lever having a generally planar portion carrying a valve meMber, said valve member having a seating surface adapted to engage and lie parallel to the seating surface of said valve seat both when said surface is horizontal and when said surface is inclined, means connecting said lever to said bracket for pivotal movement of said lever relative to said bracket, said lever having an end portion inclined relative to said generally planar portion, and opening in said end portion extending therethrough for receiving an actuating cord, said opening being tapered with the smallest dimension of the opening being on the side of the lever away from said valve member.
 7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said bracket and said lever are formed of a resilient, noncorrosive, plastic material.
 8. The combination of claim 6 wherein said cord is provided with a knot tied at the end of said cord below said opening. 